Seal Imprints

From the beautifully expressive lines of the characters to the often elegant phrases, seals combine sculpture, calligraphy and poetry into one art form. They can add significant content to a brush painting as well as balance, color and form.

Initially seal imprints told of ownership but eventually two forms developed. One is the name seal which can represent the artist's true name or an artist's name often given by a master to a student. These are usually square and used near the signature. The second type of seal is known as a side or mood seal. These may convey a thought, political opinion or represent the philosophy of the artist. In other words, they set the mood. They also can be used to balance or enhance the painting.